Hearings of the International Joint Commission in re remedies for the pollution of boundary waters between the United States and Canada

by International Joint Commission

The city of Wyandotte obtains its public water supply from the Detroit River, the intake pipes extending out a distance of approximately 150 feet from the shore. In March, 1914, hypochlorite of lime treatment of the water was begun. Our bacteriological analyses show that out of 35 tests the treated water was satisfactory in only 15 instances, or 43 per cent of the time. The city sewerage system has four points of outlet—all into the river, but at points below the water intake. Many of the connections to the sewers are of the same nonflushing, outside closet type that is prevalent in Ford. The typhoid-fever case histories all point to the city water supply as the probable source of infection. There are a few private water supplies which are obtained from wells. An examination of these supplies shows that most of them are uncontaminated at present.

The village of Trenton gets its water supply from the Detroit River, the intake pipes extending out about 200 feet from the shore line. This water is supplied to the consumers without treatment. Bacteriological examinations show that this water is polluted at all times and absolutely unfit for drinking purposes. There are many private wells in Trenton and nearly all of them show sewage contamination. This is probably due to the fact that there is no general sewerage system in the village and consequently outdoor privies are common. Where plumbing has been installed the sewage is carried to open drains in most cases, where direct connection to the river is not feasible. There are 20 private sewers emptying into the river above the water intake, and the village authorities have recently decided to add a public sewer to this number. General sanitary conditions in the village are exceedingly poor and the village authorities seem very unconcerned when these conditions are called to their attention. The study of the typhoid-fever cases occurring in Trenton during 1914 and 1915 shows that a majority of the cases are due to the polluted public water supply, but that some may be attributed to general insanitary conditions, such as open drains, outside privies, and polluted well supplies.

REMEDIAL MEASURES.

Filtration of the public water supplies is necessary in all these localities. It is advisable to install intercepting sewers in Fort which will carry all sewage to a point near the southern boundary of the village where a treatment plant consisting of Imhoff tanks followed by chlorination should be installed. This will protect the Ford water supply from contamination by sewage from the village and also lighten the load on the Wyandotte water filtration plant. Better raw water can be secured at Wyandotte and Ford by the extension of the intake pipes into the river channel. The best location for the intakes can only be determined by a careful investigation of the quality of the water at different points in the cross section.

At Trenton filtration of the public water supply and a general sewerage system which will properly sewer the entire village and carry the sewage to a point well below the water intake are the essential measures immediately necessary for the proper safeguarding of the public health. As Trenton is the farthermost downstream community of importance, we do not feel that a treatment plant is necessary at the present time. However, we shall insist on a design for the sewerage system which will contemplate treatment of the sewage should such treatment become necessary in the future.

Below Trenton on the Michigan side of the river we have only one city of any size; in fact, only one community which takes its water supply from water which is affected by the Detroit River. That is the city of Monroe, of about 7,500 people. It is situated on the River Raisin, which obtains its water from the western end of Lake Erie. The studies made by the engineers of this commission have disclosed the fact that the sewage of the Detroit River contaminates the waters of Lake Erie to a point as far as the islands which separate that portion of the lake from the rest of Lake Erie.

Mr. Tawney. How many miles is it?

Mr. Follin. I do not know exactly.

Mr. Tawney. About 18 miles, is it not?

Mr. Follin. It is probably a little farther than that. Last summer we made an investigation with respect to typhoid fever conditions at Monroe and found that although not started by the city water, the city water then did spread an epidemic of typhoid fever in the town. We made some investigation of the waters immediately in the western end of the lake next to their waterworks intake and found that they were not of sufficient quality to enable the water there to be made fit for domestic purposes by chlorination alone. We accordingly called a meeting of the State board of health, at which the officials of Monroe and the officials of the Monroe Water Co., a private company, were called in for consultation. They expressed their willingness to go ahead and complete the filtration works for the city. Those details are now being worked out. No definite order was made by the board of health in that instance because it was not deemed necessary.